Tristan McKee is wasting no time getting behind the wheel of a NASCAR national series vehicle following his 16th birthday, with the Williamsburg, Virginia native set to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in this Friday night's Black's Tire 250 at Richmond Raceway.
McKee, who is running part-time in the ARCA Menards Series (full-time in ARCA Menards Series East), in addition to full-time in the ASA STARS National Tour, is set to pilot the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend in what is scheduled to be the first of his five Truck Series starts throughout the remainder of the 2026 season.
McKee won his ARCA debut with Spire Motorsports at Watkins Glen International a year ago, and he has added two wins in six starts this year. His four wins in seven ARCA East starts have him leading the championship with only one race remaining.
Tristan McKee set for NASCAR debut, Carson Hocevar shifts full focus to Cup
The 16-year-old, who signed with Spire Motorsports as a 14-year-old in January 2025 to be their development driver, is a driver whom many believe could eventually end up competing at the Cup level, possibly at Spire Motorsports as the replacement for 2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell, whenever McDowell decides to call it a career.
But before anybody gets ahead of themselves, he'll be looking to take care of business at the four-turn, 0.75-mile (1.207-kilometer) Richmond, Virginia oval this Friday night.
The confirmation of McKee's Truck Series debut also officially brings an end to Carson Hocevar's season in the Truck Series.
Hocevar, a full-time Cup driver for Spire Motorsports, is not bound by the eight-race limit on full-time Cup drivers in the Truck Series, since he is only in his third Cup season. He ran 10 races but will, like all full-time Cup drivers, be ineligible to run the regular season finale at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next weekend, as well as all seven postseason events. He won at Texas Motor Speedway in May.
As for the rest of the 2026 season, McKee is set to compete at New Hampshire next weekend, Bristol Motor Speedway next month, and at both Phoenix Raceway and Martinsville Speedway in October.
The other four tracks remaining on this year's schedule are all ovals that measure at least 1.5 miles in length, so he will not be allowed to compete due to his age. With Hocevar ineligible, Spire Motorsports will need to find somebody else to compete in those four events.
Fox Sports 1's live coverage of the Black's Tire 250 is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET this Friday, August 14, so start a free trial of FuboTV today and catch all of the action from Richmond Raceway!
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